Immortal Reincarnation Tribulation

Chapter 97 A Masterpiece of Craftsmanship

"Below is the Qixia Mountain Range. The Qixia Sect is located deep within the Qixia Mountain Range. We will arrive there in about half a day." Qiao Jiangnan glanced at Du Fan, smiled slightly, and suddenly spoke.

Upon hearing this, Du Fan turned his gaze away from the maple forest, nodded to Qiao Jiangnan, and said, "I do have some expectations for the Qixia Sect."

A little over half a day later, a white streak streaked across the sky, its light fading as it landed on the ground, revealing Qiao Jiangnan and Du Fan.

Du Fan looked up and saw a mountain gate in front of him. The gate was five or six zhang high and seven or eight zhang wide, and it was built of ancient blue stone. There were a few red maple leaves simply carved on the top of the gate.

Beside the mountain gate stands a large, blue stone tablet, about ten feet in size, inscribed with the three characters "Qixia Sect" in bright red, blood-red characters. The calligraphy is not flamboyant but simple and casual.

Here, everything seemed ordinary, lacking any sense of magnificence or grandeur, and even less luxurious than the small sect, Zishan Sect, which Du Fan had once visited.

Du Fan did not look down on the Qixia Sect because of this. On the contrary, a phrase from his previous life came to mind: "Low-key sharpness".

Before even stepping through the mountain gate, Du Fan had already fallen in love with the place; in his heart, this was what a celestial sect should be like.

A young boy who was sweeping fallen leaves in front of the door immediately ran over upon seeing the visitor, bowed deeply to Qiao Jiangnan, and respectfully asked, "Senior, are you Elder Qiao of the Seven Star Merchant Alliance?"

"That's right." Qiao Jiangnan took out a light blue token, handed it to the boy in front of him, and looked at him with a half-smile.

"So it really is Elder Qiao. The sect leader gave us orders several days ago that Elder Qiao doesn't need to go through several checkpoints within the sect and can fly directly to the main peak hall." After a brief inspection, the boy returned the token to Qiao Jiangnan with a relieved expression and said very respectfully.

"Thank you for your trouble." Qiao Jiangnan put away the token, nodded, and led Du Fan into the Qixia Sect's mountain gate.

What he saw outside the mountain gate was an illusion, not a real thing. After Du Fan stepped into the mountain gate, what came into view was naturally a completely different scene.

Just as Du Fan had expected, there was no extravagant large square or luxurious palaces, only an ordinary grove of trees. In the grove, there were red maple leaves and green willows, accompanied by the sounds of insects and birds. Everything was so natural and harmonious.

There is a quiet and secluded path in the woods, which seems to lead to the farthest place.

"Master Du, are you ready?" Qiao Jiangnan suddenly spoke, asking gently.

Du Fan took a deep breath and nodded.

With a smile, Qiao Jiangnan flicked his sleeve, and a cloud of gray light appeared, lingering in the air for only a moment before sweeping Du Fan up.

Du Fan felt enveloped by a gentle force, and the next moment, he and Qiao Jiangnan soared away through the air. This time, they did not ride the flying fan magic weapon.

Although Du Fan was enveloped in the gray glow, he could still see the scenery below through the light. However, what they were below was a dense forest that stretched for hundreds of miles.

In front of this jungle, five towering peaks stand majestically, with four outer peaks in the east, west, south, and north surrounding the central main peak.

Upon seeing those five colossal peaks, Du Fan's mouth dropped open, his expression blank, for he had never imagined that a mountain could be so enormous...

Du Fan found it difficult to describe the size of the five giant peaks. The outer peak alone probably covered tens of millions of acres, far exceeding the total area of ​​the hundred or so peaks of Kongsangmen. The main peak in the middle, by visual estimation, was roughly the size of the other four peaks combined.

Of course, this only refers to the area covered; the height of the mountains is even more astonishing.

The other four outer peaks are alright, as they are still below the clouds. However, the central main peak pierces the sky, and based on the shape and trend of the giant peak, at least one-third of it is still above the clouds...

Du Fan never expected that after arriving at Qixia Sect, what would shock him one after another was not the ingenious craftsmanship of man, but the wonders of nature.

After a short while, Du Fan, enveloped in the gray glow of the sunset, crossed two mountain peaks and approached the main peak.

Looking down, one could see ancient buildings of all sizes, as well as disciples dressed in various styles at the foot of the mountain. The two people's flight across the sky did not attract much attention. However, as the light of their escape flew higher and higher, fewer and fewer people appeared.

In about a quarter of an hour, Du Fan and his companion had flown to the mountainside of the main peak, where a tall building stood, ten zhang high and a hundred acres in size. This was the largest hall Du Fan had seen since entering the Qixia Sect.

Just as Du Fan had guessed, Qiao Jiangnan landed not far in front of the main hall. The light faded, revealing the two of them.

"Elder Qiao has finally arrived. You have kept this old man waiting for many days." Before Qiao Jiangnan could make a move, three figures flew out of the main hall, accompanied by a cheerful voice.

The three streaks of light suddenly stopped in front of Du Fan, and as the light faded, three cultivators were revealed.

One of them was a thin old man with white hair and beard, kind eyes and a white Taoist robe, giving him an air of otherworldly elegance.

The other person was a middle-aged man dressed in a purple robe. He was tall and had bright, piercing eyes. He was playing with a strange book in his hand and was looking at Qiao Jiangnan with a smile. Judging from his expression, he seemed to be very familiar with Qiao Jiangnan.

The last person was a dignified woman who appeared to be around thirty years old. She had a beautiful face, wore a long turquoise dress, and had a silver phoenix hairpin in her black hair. She looked elegant and graceful.

The person who just spoke was the old man in white robes.

"Sect Master Maple Leaf, after receiving the order from the Alliance, I did not delay for a moment and rushed here day and night. Du Shangfeng can testify for me on this matter." Qiao Jiangnan chuckled and cleverly introduced Du Fan.

"Junior Du Fan greets the three seniors." Du Fan smiled slightly, cupped his hands, and spoke at the right time, his expression neither humble nor arrogant.

Qiao Jiangnan was quite satisfied with Du Fan's words and actions, looking at the group with a half-smile, without interrupting.

"Oh? You must be the newly promoted honoree mentioned in Senior Xiao's letter. Honoree Du, there's no need for such formalities. Honoree Du, Elder Qiao, let's go inside the hall and talk some more."

After subconsciously scanning Du Fan with his divine sense, the Maple Leaf Sect Master showed a hint of surprise on his face. Then, he smiled slightly without making a sound, speaking very politely, as if they were getting along like peers.

The purple-robed man and the young woman both turned their gazes to Du Fan, a hint of surprise flashing across their faces, but it was fleeting. They immediately smiled and nodded to him, showing no sign of superiority or subordinate.

Although Du Fan's expression remained calm, his heart was in turmoil. The strict hierarchy in the cultivation world was extremely evident. In his memory, every low-level cultivator would bow and tremble with fear when meeting a high-level cultivator!

Conversely, they are arrogant and domineering, and will punish or even kill anyone who shows the slightest dissatisfaction.

He was merely a low-level cultivator at the second level of the Qi Refining stage, nothing in the eyes of these powerful figures. It was only because he held the title of a Seven Star Merchant Alliance retainer that he could interact with these Golden Core experts on equal footing. This phenomenon made him sigh with disbelief.

Of course, the other party was being so polite to him because they were giving face to the Seven Star Merchant Alliance. If he were to rely on his special status and act arrogantly in front of these seniors, he would be courting death.

A moment later, the five of them sat down on a row of chairs in the main hall.

A disciple of the Qixia Sect served each of the five people a cup of spiritual tea and then respectfully withdrew.

"Peony Fairy, it's only been a few years since we last met, and you've already broken through to the late stage of the Golden Core realm. Congratulations!" After taking his seat, Qiao Jiangnan's eyes flashed, and he spoke first.

"My aptitude is lacking, and I've been stuck at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm for many years. How could I possibly mention this small breakthrough to Elder Qiao?" The woman in the green dress smiled gently and said modestly.

"If it's considered a lack of talent that the Peony Fairy has advanced to the late Golden Core stage with just over two hundred years of cultivation experience, then there are probably very few cultivators with good aptitude in the entire cultivation world." Qiao Jiangnan's lips twitched upon hearing this, and then he said with a wry smile.

The Peony Fairy smiled faintly, but did not say anything more.

"Elder Qiao, how are Senior Xiao? Before Elder Tang went into seclusion, he specifically asked me to convey his regards." The white-robed elder in the head seat suddenly spoke, his face solemn.

"Thank you for your concern, Senior Tang. Vice Alliance Leader Xiao is doing well, but she is currently busy with a very important matter and cannot leave. However, before I left, Vice Alliance Leader Xiao specifically stated that she would personally visit Senior Tang at Qixia Sect once she finished her work. I hope Sect Leader Maple Leaf can convey this message to her." Qiao Jiangnan cupped his hands and said with a smile.

"This is wonderful! Senior Xiao's presence is an honor to our Qixia Sect. Haha..." Upon hearing this, the Maple Leaf Sect Master suddenly burst into laughter, appearing extremely pleased.

The Maple Leaf Sect Master and the other two elders seemed to be quite familiar with Qiao Jiangnan. After exchanging greetings as seniors, they began chatting about some interesting things that had recently happened in the cultivation world. Du Fan sat aside and listened quietly, which broadened his horizons considerably.

Half an hour later, the Maple Leaf Sect Master turned his gaze to Du Fan and said apologetically, "Elder Du, I'm really sorry. We old folks got a little carried away with our conversation and neglected you, fellow Daoist."

"It's alright. I've benefited greatly from hearing the stories and anecdotes about the cultivation world from you seniors," Du Fan said with a slight smile, seemingly unconcerned.

"Sect Master, Elder Du has come overnight and must be quite tired. Why don't we make proper arrangements for Elder Du first, and then we can talk?" The purple-robed man suddenly spoke up, suggesting this to the Maple Leaf Sect Master, while his eyes flashed almost imperceptibly.